Discussion about development in East Africa has revolved for a long time around international aid and other support from external institutions. A new narrative has been emerging in the region in more recent years that it is a lot more exciting. It is a story of self-reliance, resilience and a passion for growth facilitated largely by new industry and technology.
In order to investigate these issues in greater depth and to showcase the talent and initiative of East African communities, along with a small and dedicated team I have launched teknolojia.social, a multimedia journalism project investigating the social impact of technology in East Africa. Through our research and reporting we seek to show how technology is impacting wider society and what development outcomes are resulting from ongoing investment. Why teknolojia? It’s Swahili for technology!
The project will launch its first phase in Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi was selected as the first research site because it is celebrated as the technology and innovation hub of East Africa. Enterprise is thriving in the city, thanks largely to nationwide innovation facilitated by iHub: an organisation that describes itself as “[catalysing] the growth of the Kenyan tech community by connecting people, supporting startups, and surfacing information”.
What is the flow on effect of these innovations to the surrounding community? Are positive development outcomes visible? Does Kenya’s massive refugee population use technology to better support themselves? Are there possibilities for enhanced synergy between the technology, development and humanitarian worlds? We aim to find out!
We are currently seeking to build partnerships with global and Kenyan-based media outlets, tech companies, entrepreneurs, community groups, non-profits, governments and social impact investors. For more information check out http://teknolojia.social or email me at keeya@teknolojia.social – I’d love to hear from you.
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